Sold items on Vinted or Marktplaats? Here's how to ship them cheaply and safely
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
5 min reading time
Practical route from sold to shipped: which box sizes to get, how to pack a parcel, and how to prevent damage disputes.
You've sold a jumper for €12.00 and the buyer is waiting. Now it turns out you don't have a box that fits through the letterbox, no tape that holds, and no idea if this package still qualifies for the cheapest shipping option. That costs you a trip to the shop and sometimes a few extra euros in shipping costs that you hadn't anticipated. Those who regularly sell items via Vinted, Marktplaats, or similar apps will recoup that money by having a small stock of packaging materials in the cupboard.
This guide is not about box sizes in general, but about the practical route from sold to shipped: what to have in stock, how to assemble the package, and where things usually go wrong.
First, determine the size: letterbox or parcel?
The biggest price difference is between a letterbox package and a regular parcel. PostNL specifies maximum dimensions of 38 x 26.5 x 3.2 cm and a maximum weight of 2 kg for letterbox packages (see the PostNL customer service page; always check the current conditions of your own carrier, as these may change and vary per provider).
That 3.2 cm is the critical measurement. A T-shirt or a pair of socks will easily fit. A thick winter jumper won't, unless you fold it flat and tightly. A book 2 cm thick fits, a book 4 cm thick does not. So don't measure your product but your filled packaging, and measure at the thickest point.
Practical approach: place the item on a table, fold it as flat as possible, and place a ruler next to it. If you're between 3 and 4 cm, it's often worth folding differently or choosing a thinner void fill material. If you're well above 3.2 cm, stop forcing it and grab a regular box.
What you'll want to have on hand
You don't need to set up a warehouse. Three box sizes and one envelope size cover ninety percent of shipments for most private sellers.
The order is simple and saves you complaints: pack, fill, seal, address.
Protect the item itself. Clothing goes into a thin bag or folding sheet, so it doesn't get wet if the box is left in the rain. Anything that can scratch or break gets a layer of bubble wrap. The Green Bubble Wrap 50 x 500 cm for €5.00 is enough for a few months of private shipping; those who go through a lot will look at the Bubble Wrap Roll 500 mm x 500 m Transparent for €12.95.
Fill the space. An item that rattles in the box will arrive damaged. This is less of an issue with letterbox boxes because the package is flat, but with a cube box, you want nothing to be able to shift when you shake it.
Label straight and smooth. A shipping label placed over a bump or a tape seam scans poorly. Place it on the largest flat surface and not over the edge.
Preventing disputes over damage or returns
Most post-shipping conflicts concern two things: whether the package has been opened, and whether the item arrived damaged. For the former, Security Seal Stickers VOID - 60 pieces for €9.95 are useful: they leave traces as soon as someone removes them. For the latter, mainly: before sealing, take a photo of the item in the open packaging, with the label or order name next to it. That takes ten seconds and resolves most discussions afterwards.
Another habit that pays off: save the box sizes you use in a note on your phone, with the price per piece. This way, when determining your asking price, you know what the packaging costs you and you don't have to figure it out every time.
Calculating: what does a shipment really cost you?
Add up three items: the packaging, the void fill material, and your carrier's shipping rate. For an A5+ letterbox box from a bundle of one hundred, you'll pay €0.24 per box. A small piece of tape and possibly some bubble wrap are added to that. The shipping costs themselves vary per platform and per carrier, so you get those from the app where you're selling.
Where private sellers lose money is buying per piece. Individual boxes at a shop around the corner often cost five to ten times the price per piece from a bundle. If you sell more than a handful of items per month, one bundle will pay for itself within a few shipments.
Getting started
Start with one bundle of letterbox boxes in the size that best suits your items, one roll of tape, and a roll of bubble wrap. That's enough to last for months without having to leave the house for a sold item again.
Everything you need for this can be found in the collections Letterbox Packaging, Packaging & Shipping, Tape, and Envelopes. If you're unsure which size fits your items, or want to know the cost of a larger purchase? Email your question to info@verpakkingdeals.nl and we'll help you think it through.
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